Did you Know? List of Facts about
Hippopotamus
Facts are statements which are held to be true and often
contrasted with opinions and beliefs. Our unusual and
interesting facts about Hippopotamus, trivia and information, including
some useful statistics about animals will fascinate everyone from kids and
children to adults.
Interesting Facts about Hippopotamus
are as follows:
Fact 1 - Definition: The
hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) or hippo is a large,
amphibious, herbivorous mammal inhabiting the rivers of Africa
Fact 2 - The hippopotamus is allied
to the pigs and hogs, and has a very thick, naked skin, a thick
and square head, a very large muzzle, small eyes and ears, thick
and heavy body and short legs
Recent DNA evidence suggests that
the hippopotamus is more closely related to cetaceans -
Whales
and Dolphins
Fact 3 - The hippopotamus spends
most of the day living in water, but comes on to land at night
to feed
Fact 5 - The word "Hippopotamus" is
of Greek origin from the word meaning "river horse"
Fact 6 - The pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis
liberiensis or Hexaprotodon liberiensis) is the small cousin to
the common hippopotamus. They weigh approximately 350 to 550
pounds
Fact 7 - Hippopotamus stats and
facts
Weight: Up to 3˝
tons
Size: 13 feet long and 5 feet tall
Habitat: Rivers and swamps
Lifespan: 50 years
Speed: Up to 30 mph (40-45 km/hr)
Diet: mainly grass, eating up to 45
kg per night
Fact 8 - hippopotamus has long,
thick, razor-sharp canine teeth, or tusks. A hippo is capable of
biting a small boat in half
Fact 9 - The hippo’s yawn is not a
sign of sleepiness or boredom but is a threatening gesture
The hippopotamus is listed by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as
'vulnerable'
Vulnerable - VU (Status: Threatened) -
At risk because of their natural declining numbers are facing
high-risk in their natural surroundings
The Pygmy hippopotamus of Nigeria
is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) as 'critically endangered'
Critically Endangered - CR (Status: Threatened) - Face an extremely high risk of extinction in the
immediate future
Fact 14 - Several species of small
hippopotamids (Dwarf hippos) have become extinct including the
Cretan dwarf hippopotamus , the Sicilian hippopotamus, the
Maltese hippopotamus and the Cyprus dwarf hippopotamus
Fact 15 - Hippos have killed more
people in Africa than more than any other wild animal
Fact 16 - The hippopotamus drinks
up to 250 litres (56 gallons) in any 24 hours
Fact 17 - The normal sound of a
hippo is classified as wheeze honking
